The Student Government Association (SGA) is hosting a voter registration drive on Oct. 17 through Oct. 19. The goal of the drive is to help students become registered to vote and to inform voters of the candidates and issues that will be addressed at the polls.  The drive will be located in the SGA office above the Student Union in Room 207 in an effort to keep the voting process neutral. Students will be able to register online to vote.

“Our number one goal next week is to inform the student body on who is running and also to get those who want to vote to register,” said Luke Holloway, SGA President. “When students come up to the SGA office to get scantrons, coffee or T-shirts they will also be able to get a pamphlet that will basically say who is running and what elections are going on in the area.”

According to Holloway, the SGA drive will focus mostly on the State and Tangipahoa parish candidates and issues.

“That is the main focal point because that’s the community Southeastern is in,” said Holloway.

Those students who are already registered to vote and reside in a parish other than Tangipahoa can access sample ballots, specific to their area, by visiting www.geauxvote.com and selecting “Sample Ballot.”  Users can select to search for their sample ballots by their voter registration information. This service, provided by the Louisiana Secretary of State, will display all of the issues, amendments and candidates that a voter will be asked to decide upon on Election Day.  This website also contains a link that allows for users to register to vote online.

“I feel like, as students, we can definitely change the landscape of what higher education looks like from a legislative point,” said Holloway.  “As students if we unite together and we put people in office who promise to prosper higher education we can really make sure that future higher education is spoken for.”

Although those students that register to vote will not be eligible to vote in the upcoming Oct. 22 elections, they will be prepared and eligible for the presidential elections next year.

For more information about the SGA voter registration drive contact the SGA office at 985-549-2296.